Spellbound
by Maddiemaia
Summary: My first fic. A curse of hatred haunts a clan of Venus adepts. To cure this curse, they seek out the elemental stars... and the sole heirs to the thrones of Sol and Luna. Isaac/Mia/Alex
1. Chapter One

Spellbound

By Maddiemaia

"You don't imagine they could be from Imil, do you?" Kyle pondered aloud within earshot of his wife Dora. Dora sighed, and wiped a spot off of a dish. _Not again._

"I don't know, Kyle. These days, folks are coloring their hair all kinds of wild colors. They could be just people posing as healers." She replied, setting thr dish down gently. Kyle anxiously glanced out the window. The cerulean-haired travelers had chosen to camp by the stream, which wasn't more than fifty paces from the cottage in which Dora, Kyle, and their young son Isaac dwelled. 

"But they've got infants, Dora. And the infants' hair is not nearly long enough to dye." Kyle edged towards the window, glanced out of it, then quickly jumped away from it. This motion had been repeated since the last full moon, which had been weeks ago. Every day, the same routine. Every day, the same questions. Every day, the same motion. This was, to Dora, quite irritating.

Dora felt something against her leg and jumped. She looked down at her feet to find Isaac rubbing his eyes blearily with one small hand, and tugging at the hem of her apron with the other. She smiled to herself.

"Somebody woke up from his nap!" Dora cooed. At the word 'nap,' Isaac cried out and jumped away, but Dora picked him up and whirled him around in her arms. Isaac laughed, his robin's egg blue eyes sparkling. 

"Keep it down, Dora! The Imilians are walking by!" Kyle hissed. Dora rolled her eyes, and set Isaac down in his chair. Isaac kept on giggling. Dora glanced at the stove and picked up a pot. 

"Kyle, if you want to eat then you will have to tear your eyes away from the window." Dora said over her shoulder as she poured soup into three bowls. Kyle reluctantly stumbled over to the table and sat down heavily into his wooden chair. Dora sighed, and passed him his soup. 

"I just KNOW they're up to something." Kyle growled. 

"Then do something about it!" Dora exclaimed. "Gods, Kyle. If I had a lucky medal for every time you've said that, why I could own Tolbi!" 

Silence fell heavily over the trio, the candlelight burning and casting flickering shadows across the walls. Dora's eyes gleamed furiously. "I work all day around this house, taking care of OUR son, cleaning OUR house, listening to you babble all day and watching you sit around doing nothing. To hell with the Imilians! Go back to work! We need food! Isaac needs new clothes!"

Kyle slammed his fist down on the table so hard it shook violently. Isaac whimpered, catching the attention of both parents. 

"I'll… go back to work tomorrow." Kyle said finally. Dora smiled.

"That's the man I fell in love with." Dora said happily. For the rest of supper, the couple chatted gaily, coversation devoid of any mention of the Imilians, unaware of a lonely, hollow and sunken-in face gazing in at them through the window, long stringy hiding a wicked, crooked, and horribly maniacal smirk. 

"I'll get you Isaac, oh heir to Sol…

***Thirteen years later, the Imilians have long since left the town of Vale, their reason for coming still unknown. Our hero, Isaac, is seventeen and is loved by all. All, that is, except…***

"Isaac, _must _you wear that old rag?" Dora lamented, eyeing Isaac's favorite yellow scarf as he stumbled down the stairs, still seemingly asleep. He dropped into his own chair at the small kitchen table and mumbled a good morning. "Honestly, you men are always expecting to be served-Oh Isaac, did you even glance at your hair?!-Kyle! You're late!" Dora ran off at the mouth with her usual morning speech as Kyle walked down the stairs. "Hurry up and eat!" Dora screeched, slamming a wet looking salad in front of Kyle and a bowl of porridge in front of Isaac. 

"Dora dear, what _is _this?" Kyle pointed dejectedly at his own breakfast. 

"Salad. You have been getting older dear, and you need to watch your health." Dora explained. Kyle sighed, and wolfed down the greens obediently, despite the fact that they tasted like the hay right out of a horse's stall. He stood up, kissed Dora and mussed Isaac's hair, and headed off to work. 

"Isaac dear, you'll need to fix the roof today. It's got a large hole right near your window." Dora chatised Isaac as she cleared off the table. 

"That would explain the draft in my room last night." Isaac said as he stood up and began to scrub his bowl. Dora nodded.

"And you'll need to break up the sod in the back garden, your father's back is bothering him again so he can't do it. And, I want you to bring in the laundry from the clothesline." Dora told Isaac as she bustled around the kitchen. Isaac set down his wooden bowl and picked up a tin cup. "That cold front is coming in from the east, strangely enough. I heard that from the Great Healer yesterday when I was talked to Lady Jerra yesterday just outside the Sanctum." Isaac said, looking out the window at the clear blue sky.

"But our cold fronts always come from due north." Dora said, putting her broom away. 

"…East… isn't that where the Imilians reside?" Isaac asked, picking up Kyle's salad plate. Dora shook her head. "Well, northeast more, but yes, mostly east. Imilians… you mean the healers?" Dora replied. Isaac nodded. "They came here, when you were but a child. Had Kyle in a right state…"

"He wouldn't go to work for two whole weeks. And you two argued at supper one night, and then that face…" Isaac whispered. Dora blinked.

"How do you remember all this? And what face?" Dora asked, putting aside her work. Isaac shook his head. 

"…Nevermind." He dismissed the subject hastily.

A knock at the door broke the tension. Isaac quickly opened it. "Garet!" He exclaimed, greeting his best friend. 

"You've just got to see it, Isaac."

"See what?"

"The travelers! They're wild!" 

Jenna Jerra, a pretty young dancer, stepped out front behind Garet's enormous form. "Simply outrageous!" She agreed. Isaac turned around to face Dora. 

"You may go, Isaac. But you must be back before midday."

At that, the trio sped off towards the town square.

***

"So, the elemental stars can lift curses?" Alex said to his girlfriend Mia conversationally. They were gathering herbs to create a potion to cure a spreading epidemic. Mia stiffened.

"For the last time, Alex, I _don't know._" She sighed, her arms full of an herb that, though very powerful, stank like rotting flesh. Wading her way through the tall grass, she marched towards town, eager to get inside by a warm hearth. Alex caught up to her and matched her pace more than easily. 

"Just one more question." Alex panted. Mia felt her lungs gasping for air, and took a deep breath, meanwhile holding her nose to block the scent of the herb. They stopped and faced each other, their breath clouding in front of them. "Will you marry me? Please?" Alex whispered. Mia blinked, and turned to continue stumbling and marching through the tall but dead grass. 

"Alex, I want to, but… don't you think it's not the best time? Why not wait until springtime?" Mia reasoned. Alex groaned.

"Mia, do you really love them more than me?"

"No! That's not it! I just want everyone to be happy, not just us."

"You care about people too much." Alex said.

"I should think you would, too."

"Alright, I do,"

"Then let's wait."

---

//So, the elemental stars can lift curses?// Alex's own voice ran through his head later that night as he stood in front of the mirror, and shed his clothing. The curse, now visible on his body, had spread. He was just lucky that he lived in a cold area. No one would know, because he wore so much clothing to keep warm.The curse was tearing his soul apart. He needed to find a cure.

"Sorry Mia." He said to her sleeping form as he perfected his plan.


	2. Chapter Two

Spellbound

By Maddiemaia

Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun. You want to know why? Because it's my first year of college, and I'm so broke I can barely afford a new pair of shoes, let alone the liscensing to Golden Sun.

A/N: Thank you to all of you who have reviewed. Your criticism and your praise are greatly appreciated. 

I'm just going to answer general questions instead of personally answering everyone's questions, because I have very little time on my hands and need to be resourceful with that little time.

**Is this story going to be Isaac/Mia or Alex/Mia? **_I know exactly what the couples are going to be, and I can assure you all that both Imilshippers and Mudshippers will be happy with the resulting couple._

**Will there be any other couples? **_Oh yes, there will be _many_ other couples. I haven't decided on a few of them, but by the time I've reached the half way point in this story, they will be decided, and not one single character will be left out. *now to figure out how to do that….*_

**How frequent will your updates be? **_Well, as the year goes on, updates wil become more and more spread out, because my workload will grow. However, for now, on average I will probably update once each week._

I hope that answers everyone's questions. If you have a question, either email me at maddiemaia@yahoo.com, or review and ask me. The latter is much preferred, but then again do I really control you? I wish….

Chapter Two

"Aren't they _amazing_?" Garet breathed, his maroon eyes gleaming. Isaac nodded, mouth hanging open. Jenna was still panting heavily, and it was getting on Isaac's nerves. She was supposed to be fit; she _was _a dancer, wasn't she? Was it really that hard to run a couple yards?

The trio had darted straight into a pyreberry bush, which hadn't proved to be the best idea since the pyreberry bush had thorny branches that were digging into their backs and had scratched and torn their clothes when they had first darted in.

They had reached the town square just in time to see Garet's grandfather, the mayor, speak with the travelers. At the sight of these travelers, Isaac's stomach lurched, but he tried to ignore it so he could just have fun and be amazed like his two friends. 

"Dad says they've been here before. Last time they were here, they wanted the elemental stars." Garet whispered, seemingly glad to know something the others didn't, for once. Jenna, of course, wasn't about to let that happen.

"Why?" She demanded. Garet smirked.

"Because they've got a curse on them, _obviously._" He replied superciliously. Isaac shook his head.

"But why just them?" He asked. "It doesn't makes sense," he continued, "because they all are male, and they all look the same. I just don't get it." He finished. Garet slumped in defeat, but to Jenna this was a chance to regain her position as the 'Upper Hand.' 

"It must be a clan of some kind," She said. Garet shook his head, back at fighting to win.

"But you can't have an all-male clan, no matter who you are. It just doesn't work that way. Because you have to have women to-"

"That's enough, Garet." Isaac said. Jenna inwardly sighed. No matter how much she and Garet fought, Isaac always had the upper hand over all three of them. 

"Anyway, Dad says that they wouldn't listen, and this huge fight started! He said they fought like demons! But they lost to us, and left. This was, of course, before we were all born." Garet said. Isaac's stomach lurched once again, as their leader turned towards the bush and, despite the foliage and bramble, looked right into his eyes. 

"Isaac? Isaac!" Jenna and Garet hissed. Isaac came back to reality. The leader hadn't looked at him. It was just his imagination… right?

"Sorry." He muttered.

"How many times must I tell you? The elemental stars cannot help you! Why do you plague us with your troubles? Nothing has changed since last time! We have absolutely no control over them; we cannot tell them to cure you." Garet's grandfather's voice carried over to them. He seemed happy with the firm way he said it, but then backed down at the look the brute gave him.

Those lonely, sunken in, hollow eyes, cursed with hatred, gazed upon him. The mayor shivered, and trembled, but wouldn't give in. Finally, he collapsed at the man's feet, sweating and shaking, his eyes half open and blank. Garet gasped, and Jenna closed her mouth over a shriek. 

***

"My Lord, we failed in our quest." Felix hung his head and dropped to his knees in apology. The lord overpowering Felix sent an earthquake under his messenger's knees, despite the apology. "My Lord, please understand…" Felix whimpered as he peeled himself from the stonework. The king of sorts gave Felix nothing more than a beady eyed glare. "…Right." Felix muttered, straightening his worn and tattered tunic. His face automatically set into its usual expression: cold, emotionless, and maybe a little disdainful. "I shall send out the next regiment." He announced, his deep steady voice ringing clear throughout the dark stone room. One might have called it a throneroom. But then again, thronerooms were lighted, and grand, and usually _above _ground. This throneroom was hidden, and dark, with one single candle in an alcove behind the throne. The candle had to be covered, for moisture dripped down from the ceiling, forming stalactites and stalagmites, and would have put out the candle instantly. It _did _look much more like a bear's cave rather than a king's throneroom.

"Very well, Felix." He dismissed his messenger. At that, Felix left the cavern, his boots tapping lightly against the floor. 

//There isn't much time left for the boy, is there? I can see it in his eyes… the rage, overpowering him and slowly killing him. But maybe he will follow a different path than all the rest, and bring our clan to glory once again, like we were so long ago… Yes, Felix. You will be different. You alone will fetch the elemental gems, and will bring the heirs to Sol and Luna with you, too. Yes… You alone, I can depend on. You alone.//

***

Felix finally exited the dark tunnel that connected the underground throneroom to the rest of the castle, and instantly shaded his eyes, for he was above ground, and in the sun once again.

The castle, or fortress rather, had been built a millenium and a half ago, and had only grown stronger and bigger as the years wore on, while other castles and fortresses were easily burned or broken down. It was built in a strategic manner, with the throneroom where no one would ever imagine to look: behind the kitchen garden, under a huge zephyrberry bush that had been there longer than the actually castle had. Most of the residents of the fortress knew nothing of the secret throneroom, and could only guess where their lord and king was hidden. 

The zephyrberry bush was the only entrance to the throneroom, unless you had the power to drill a hole into a layer of stone at least ten yards thick, which no one did. If you were a venus adept and used an earthquake, you'd just fall in with the rest of the stone, and either die instantly or be trapped and die of starvation. 

Well anyway, who would look for a throneroom behind a kitchen garden? It was so simple that it was complex. Just the kind of thing Felix loved. 

Felix followed the line of hydraberry trees to the outer corridor of the fortress. The fortress was made up of many hallways, circling around one room that led underground, to where the members of the clan lived. He followed that wall to the drawbridge where the next regiment was waiting for him.

"We are to attack Vale again, this time in a quiet, non-confrontational manner." Felix announced. The soldiers showed little expression on their faces, and at that they left for Vale.

//This will work… right? …Why do I have to lead them into my own hometown?// Felix shrugged off the nervous thoughts, and slid his bronze helm over his head. In any case, he'd have to go there, so why not get it over with now?

***

"How dare you! We've told you, the Elemental stars are NOT to be used to lift a measly little curse!" One villager screamed. "We told you this twenty years ago, we tell you today!" 

The brute turned, and stared blankly at the man. "It doesn't matter. We haven't yet demonstrated the power of this curse. I suggest you come quietly, next time." He said coldly. Then he turned, and the travelers filed out of Vale.

"Demonstrate the power…?" Garet whispered in confusion. Jenna moaned and dropped back onto her heels. 

"We're DOOMED!" she whispered mournfully. 

"Not if I can help it!" Garet hissed. Jenna rolled her eyes.

"Don't be such a prat. We're only seventeen!"

"Seventeen?! What's wrong with that? We're at our primes, I tell you! If anyone should fight—"

"No one will fight." Isaac interuppted. 

"Why?" Garet and Jenna asked at the same time. The two mars adepts blinked.

"Because they'll just kill whoever is in their way. They'll kill the helpless. Their curse… is one of rage and hatred." Isaac whispered, not taking his eyes off the mayor. Garet placed his trembling hand on Isaac's back.

"Man, how do you know so much about them?" His voice quivered along with his hands. Isaac turned to look at Garet, his face paler than usual.

"I made the mistake of looking one in the eyes." He said gravely. Garet shook his head, and glanced back at Jenna, who was staring at something very far away.

"Jenna? Jenna?" Garet said. Jenna's brown eyes watered.

"Felix… You've come back!" She cried, and flung herself out of the pyreberry bush.

***

"Yes, Master Hammet." Ivan mumbled in his sleep. He rolled over on his pile of leaves for sleeping, and felt his face touch something cold and slimy.One purple eye opened, and the blonde shot up. Looking down, he realized that it was only a slug. 

"Gross." He moaned, and wiped his face with the corner of his blanket. It had been days since he had bathed; he didn't need to be slimy on top of everything else. Ivan groaned, and stood up. He pulled off his tunic that he used for sleeping, and yanked on his pants, cotton shirt, tunic, and cloak. He slipped on his worn brown boots, and rolled up his blanket. He glanced at the calender of sorts that he had drawn in the dirt. It would be a three day journey to Vault, and today was the quarter moon. "PERFECT!" Ivan shouted. Master Hammet would be ecstatic… they had agreed to meet in Vault at the half moon, if Ivan had gotten Hammet's rod back. So now, he had the rod back, AND he would return before the half moon! Ivan himself was dizzy with happiness. Finally, Hammet would recognize that he wasn't a stupid kid anymore!

Ivan mounted his pack onto his shoulder, and skipped off to Vault.

***

I think that's enough for now. Questions? Praise? Criticism? There's a little button right there (points at review button) that, if you click on it, will allow you to send these comments me! So review! Yeah!


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